Vehicle Tracker

[garybixler]

Hi

Not sure why no one has created a 12v Insteon interactive RF module that would plug into your vehicle's convenience outlet. It could then be possible to poll the device to determine if your vehicle is home or away allowing endless program possibilities. Having a unique Insteon address for each module would allow for as many vehicle trackers as desired. The only other alternative would be to use a long rang RFID tag system which is very expensive. Just a though for something in the future.

[larryllix]

Hi

Not sure why no one has created a 12v Insteon interactive RF module that would plug into your vehicle's convenience outlet. It could then be possible to poll the device to determine if your vehicle is home or away allowing endless program possibilities. Having a unique Insteon address for each module would allow for as many vehicle trackers as desired. The only other alternative would be to use a long rang RFID tag system which is very expensive. Just a though for something in the future.

Nice idea but...

 

I was just digging through circuit board pictures to determine the internal voltage for a hardware hack. It would require an inverter to produce the AC waveform. The RF is reported to synchronise with the AC waveform crossings to remain in sync with other units during a repeat or hop transmission. Also the AC waveform would not be in sync with your home AC frequency so I am not sure what would happen there. There are modules that transmit across two and three phases, though, so it still may be possible.

 

An AC inverter on all the time in your vehicle may kill your battery quickly.

[Big517]

RFID would be best I believe. could determine direction of travel for coming/going. Does the ISY support any EFID solutions?

[garybixler]

Hi

quote]

Nice idea but...

 

I was just digging through circuit board pictures to determine the internal voltage for a hardware hack. It would require an inverter to produce the AC waveform. The RF is reported to synchronise with the AC waveform crossings to remain in sync with other units during a repeat or hop transmission. Also the AC waveform would not be in sync with your home AC frequency so I am not sure what would happen there. There are modules that transmit across two and three phases, though, so it still may be possible.

 

An AC inverter on all the time in your vehicle may kill your battery quickly.

 

Hi Larry

I was thinking more in line of an always on version of TriggerLink or other RF sensor that could be polled and would have an insignificant drain on the battery. I to was going to investigate trying to use the RF portion of a lamp module but that looks to be impossible as I read your response.

Hi Big

The only RFID readers that I have found are supported by software running 24/7 on a PC or into a cloud.

[larryllix]

I was just digging through circuit board pictures to determine the internal voltage for a hardware hack. It would require an inverter to produce the AC waveform. The RF is reported to synchronise with the AC waveform crossings to remain in sync with other units during a repeat or hop transmission. Also the AC waveform would not be in sync with your home AC frequency so I am not sure what would happen there. There are modules that transmit across two and three phases, though, so it still may be possible.

 

An AC inverter on all the time in your vehicle may kill your battery quickly.

There may be something wrong with that logic because of wireless devices such as KeyPadLincs and thermostats like 2441ZTH not having an AC waveform to sync to and yet they work.

 

So there must be a way to use one of these wireless devices to do it with. A modified wireless module with a car battery power supply. Even a cheap leak detector with a 555 multivibrator circuit to trigger a transmit on a regular basis, either Wet On/Off or the Heartbeat if it could be accessed. Then there is the car body acting as a bit of an RF shield.

[MaddBomber83]

Well;

 

At the most basic level; taking a Z-Wave plug in module into your car through an inverter works, ish.

 

The isy can query if the module is responding, and take action accordingly. The thing is, the device needs to be queried for this.

If
       Status  'ZW 008 On-Off Power Switch' is not Responding

Then
       Send Notification to 'Admin' content 'Program Status'
       Wait  1 minute 
       Set 'ZW 008 On-Off Power Switch' Query

Else
       Send Notification to 'Admin' content 'Program Status'
       Wait  1 minute 
       Set 'ZW 008 On-Off Power Switch' Query

 

This will send an email every minute with the status of this On-Off Power Switch.

 

I said Z-Wave as I happen to have one next to me to test on. I'm assuming that Insteon Plug In (Dual Band) would do the same thing.

[MaddBomber83]

Now lets move away from that for a moment, and take a look at a more useful alternative.

 

A cell phone.

 

Just as a random example, the Google Nexus One (4 year old phone) can be had for $70-$100. The brand new operating system (4.4.2 Kit Kat) can be loaded onto this phone.

 

There are several posts on these forums about using GeoFencing and / or detecting when the phone connects / disconnects from the network. Add in things like Tasker and Mobilinc and this phone can do many things.

 

 

At the basic level, place it in your car connected to a power source and forget about it. When it connects / disconnects you will know the status of your car.

At a safety level, if that car is ever in trouble and the occupants do not have a working cell phone, you can use this one to call 911 (if in the states).

At a more advanced level, the phone can be a dedicated garage door opener / have buttons for the house lights and things like this.

[larryllix]

Now lets move away from that for a moment, and take a look at a more useful alternative.

 

A cell phone.

 

Just as a random example, the Google Nexus One (4 year old phone) can be had for $70-$100. The brand new operating system (4.4.2 Kit Kat) can be loaded onto this phone.

 

There are several posts on these forums about using GeoFencing and / or detecting when the phone connects / disconnects from the network. Add in things like Tasker and Mobilinc and this phone can do many things.

 

 

At the basic level, place it in your car connected to a power source and forget about it. When it connects / disconnects you will know the status of your car.

At a safety level, if that car is ever in trouble and the occupants do not have a working cell phone, you can use this one to call 911 (if in the states).

At a more advanced level, the phone can be a dedicated garage door opener / have buttons for the house lights and things like this.

Nice!

Not having researched the technique would the cell phone require a provider service or just WiFi access?

 

BTW: 9-1-1 access is provided, without account, in Canada also.

[MaddBomber83]

The phone would just need WiFi with the assumption that it can connect to your network at the desired location (such as in the driveway).

 

We keep a couple of our old phones around the house to use for other things (such as Skype phones, gaming devices, ectra).

 

The limit of this type of device is the battery. If it is not a car you drive very often then the WiFi may drain the battery too low to be useful.

[Xathros]

I think the answer was already briefly mentioned above. The solution I see is as follows:

 

Parts:

 

TriggerLinc

555Timer configured for 1 minute intervals driving a transistor across the Triggerlinc input.

A few voltage regulators: One 1.5V for Trigerlinc Power & One 5v for 555 timer.

 

Configure the triggerlinc to send On Only

 

Write a program to monitor for Triggerlinc On commands with a 3 minute decay timer. Set a State mvar to 1 with each received On and to 0 when the timer expires.

 

This will allow for a missed heartbeat or two before the vehicle is gone.

 

-Xathros

[MWareman]

I use one of these: http://www.mytaglist.com

The adapter sends a REST command (setting a state variable) as the tag goes in and out of range.

[MaddBomber83]

I use one of these: http://www.mytaglist.com

The adapter sends a REST command (setting a state variable) as the tag goes in and out of range.

 

Do you use those tags for anything else?

[MWareman]

I have one in each fridge/freezer compartment and have it alert me if the temp goes out of range. I'm really waiting for better variable support in ISY before I can really ramp up the uses.

[garybixler]

Hi MWareman

I took a look at the mytaglist. I had some questions maybe you could answer. Are the rest commands sent out from the Ethernet tag manager or do they come from the cloud? Can a PC login directly to the tag manager or does all communications need to go through the cloud? Is the cloud just used for setup and then all info is downloaded to the tag manager?

At any rate I think I will give it a try as it isn't very expensive.

Thanks for any info.

Gary

[larryllix]

I think the answer was already briefly mentioned above. The solution I see is as follows:

 

Parts:

 

TriggerLinc

555Timer configured for 1 minute intervals driving a transistor across the Triggerlinc input.

A few voltage regulators: One 1.5V for Trigerlinc Power & One 5v for 555 timer.

 

Configure the triggerlinc to send On Only

 

Write a program to monitor for Triggerlinc On commands with a 3 minute decay timer. Set a State mvar to 1 with each received On and to 0 when the timer expires.

 

This will allow for a missed heartbeat or two before the vehicle is gone.

 

-Xathros

IIRC the 555 is good for 3-18vdc operation without regulator, making it even simpler. The 1.5vdc for the TriggerLinc could just be a resistor and two or three diodes, forward biased, in series, acting as a zener giving 1.2-2.1vdc for all the small amount of current it should take. A vehicle USB adapter with it's 5v output could be a good starting point to bring the 1.5v supply down to more workable starting voltage parameters and ease of connections.

 

I wonder if an Insteon MS would sense a blinking LED as motion. The MS mounted somewhere by the parking spot and a 1 minute flashing LED may act like a reflective sensor when the vehicle is parked in it's spot. Both should be available without any soldering or construction. As a beam interference sensor the MS would detect motion that would not be different to the vehicle being gone so wouldn't be the correct logic.

[MWareman]

Hi MWareman

I took a look at the mytaglist. I had some questions maybe you could answer. Are the rest commands sent out from the Ethernet tag manager or do they come from the cloud? Can a PC login directly to the tag manager or does all communications need to go through the cloud? Is the cloud just used for setup and then all info is downloaded to the tag manager?

At any rate I think I will give it a try as it isn't very expensive.

Thanks for any info.

Gary

As far as sent from the cloud or locally, you can choose. I send locally to an internal URL. However, the cloud is needed for all config, and is then sent to the tag manager.

 

I believe that they do have a custom firmware you can request to remove the cloud though, if you want to implement you own server.

 

Michael.

[MWareman]

duplicate

[Xathros]

IIRC the 555 is good for 3-18vdc operation without regulator, making it even simpler. The 1.5vdc for the TriggerLinc could just be a resistor and two or three diodes, forward biased, in series, acting as a zener giving 1.2-2.1vdc for all the small amount of current it should take. A vehicle USB adapter with it's 5v output could be a good starting point to bring the 1.5v supply down to more workable starting voltage parameters and ease of connections.

 

I wonder if an Insteon MS would sense a blinking LED as motion. The MS mounted somewhere by the parking spot and a 1 minute flashing LED may act like a reflective sensor when the vehicle is parked in it's spot. Both should be available without any soldering or construction. As a beam interference sensor the MS would detect motion that would not be different to the vehicle being gone so wouldn't be the correct logic.

 

Good thought on starting with a USB charge adapter.

 

The motion sensors will not see a blinking LED as motion. These detect heat in motion not light at a fixed point. I really like the triggerlinc beacon idea. Works when its there, no communication errors when its not there. This would be a no brainer for smarthome to build a 12v insteon beacon for just this purpose. Should be able to stuff the timer & voltage reduction components into the space normally occupied by the AA battery in the triggerlinc housing and exit the housing with a single USB cable.

 

-Xathros

[larryllix]

The motion sensors will not see a blinking LED as motion. These detect heat in motion not light at a fixed point. I really like the triggerlinc beacon idea.

-Xathros

Heat or just infrared light? Good motion detectors usually have dual element sensing in them also so not to detect ambient lighting changes. I doubt these do but have not seen any real spec sheets that tell. There are infrared LEDs and ones that flash all by themselves given some DC voltage.

 

Would take some experimentation and would not detect the owner's car in the driveway.

 

On that note a hook in to the garage door beam or even the door open detect, one motion detector in the garage could tell by sequence order which way the residents went. Still not if they park in the driveway and go in the front door. I wonder if the security dongle can be detected that starts my Rav4.

[MWareman]

Just different wavelengths. The types of sensors used in motion sensors (often a thermopile) is usually tuned to a much longer wavelength than your average IR LED can emit. Also, many will likely not detect non-moving heat sources either - even if it is 'blinking' on and off.